1. Field of the Technology
The disclosed technology relates to a thin film deposition source, a deposition apparatus and a deposition method using the same.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Various processes for manufacturing a display apparatus, a semiconductor device, a solar cell, etc., mostly involve a thin film deposition process. Multiple thin films included in a liquid crystal display, a field emission display, a plasma display, and an electroluminescence display, for example, are formed by a deposition process.
Among various kinds of deposition processes, a vapor deposition process for forming a thin film on a substrate by evaporating a deposition substance is usually performed in a vacuum deposition chamber using a thermal deposition process. That is to say, a substrate is installed in a vacuum deposition chamber, and a deposition source facing one surface of the substrate is installed to allow the deposition substance to be evaporated by heating the deposition substance contained in a deposition source. The deposition substance in a gas phase is brought into contact with the substrate in a vacuum state to then be coagulated, thereby forming a thin film on the substrate.
Where a thin film is formed on a substrate by vapor deposition, it is necessary to control the thickness of the thin film. That is to say, it is necessary to uniformly or non-uniformly control the thickness of the thin film according to the characteristics of a target device. For example, where the thickness of the thin film is uniformly controlled, a deposition source may be installed at a place far from the center of the substrate and the substrate may then be rotated. However, in this instance, the deposition chamber may become bulky. In addition, since the deposition source is installed at a place far from the substrate center, most of the gaseous deposition substance jetted from the deposition source may be deposited in the deposition chamber rather than the substrate. In addition, when the substrate has a large area, it is difficult to rotate the substrate and the deposition chamber becomes bulky.
To overcome these drawbacks, several methods have been proposed, including a method of moving a deposition source in parallel with one surface of a substrate while fixing the substrate, and a method of moving a substrate in parallel with one surface of the deposition source while fixing the deposition source. In the proposed methods, it is not necessary to rotate the substrate. Thus, it is not necessary to unduly increase the size of the chamber. In addition, since a deposition is performed in a state in which the deposition source is positioned adjacent to the substrate, most of deposition substance may be deposited on one surface of the substrate. The proposed methods may be more appropriately applied when the substrate has a large area.
Here, the deposition source may include a plurality of jet nozzles linearly arranged in one direction having a length as the long or short side of the substrate. For example, when the deposition source includes a plurality of jet nozzles arranged in one direction with a length of the short side of the substrate, it moves in a long side direction of the substrate from a lower portion of one short side to a lower portion of the other side of the substrate and the deposition substance is deposited on one surface of the substrate. In such manner, the deposition source performs a deposition process by scanning one time. Alternatively, the deposition source may perform a deposition process while scanning multiple times, that is, by making multiple passes of the substrate.
To adjust the thickness of a thin film formed on a substrate surface, the shapes and arrangement of the jet nozzles may be adjusted. However, when substrates having various sizes employed the same deposition equipment, the jet nozzles should have various shapes and arrangements so as to correspond to the differing substrates. In addition, in order to vary the shapes and arrangement of the jet nozzles, it is necessary to remove the vacuum by repressurization of the deposition apparatus to make such changes, thereby losing processing efficiency.